Officials investigate TB cases in Grand Forks County

GRAND FORKS — State and local health officials are investigating what they call a cluster of tuberculosis cases in Grand Forks County.

The state Health Department has confirmed three cases of active TB in the county — a man in his 20s and two men in their 40s. Officials are working to identify people the men might have exposed to the contagious bacterial infection that usually attacks the lungs.

Health Department TB specialist Dee Pritschet says TB cases are not common in North Dakota. There were eight confirmed cases last year, 11 in 2010, five in 2009 and three in 2008. The three cases in Grand Forks bring this year's total to 14.